Poverty simulations are used increasingly in academic settings to expose health professional students to experiences of those living in poverty; therefore, the impact, content, and context of these simulations should be examined. Bridging the Gaps-Pittsburgh uses a full-day poverty simulation (Experiential Poverty [EP] Exercise) to expose health professional students to structural realities and experiences of those living in poverty in the United States as part of an intensive, interdisciplinary, community-partnered summer internship program. Students engage in the EP Exercise in one of 8 weekly didactic and reflective sessions throughout the 8-week, full-time internship. To measure the impact of the EP Exercise on student learning, Bridging the Gaps-Pittsburgh developed a measure (Poverty Attitude, Awareness, and Understanding Survey [PAAUS]), including seven questions to explore student awareness of aspects of poverty and two questions regarding attitudes about poverty students carry into their future practice. Using five cohorts of PAAUS data over 5 years, we analyzed the changes in attitudes and understanding about poverty among health professional students pre- and postparticipation in this program. For one recent cohort, we conducted an additional posttest to assess the impact of the poverty simulation as distinct from other programmatic experiences. Finally, we share qualitative feedback from student evaluations following the EP Exercise. We provide evidence of the statistically significant impact of the EP Exercise on students’ awareness, attitudes, and understanding of poverty and indicate the importance of considering the context of poverty simulations to improve health professional student preparation to work with populations experiencing poverty.
Undergraduate Health Professional Student Perceptions/Attitudes towards Interprofessional Education (IPE): A Qualitative Study
